


A Breeze of Fresh Air

by ZhurrickTea (GamblingDementor)



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Airbending & Airbenders, F/F, Pre-Avatar: The Last Airbender, Western Air Temple, air nomads - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-27
Updated: 2015-04-27
Packaged: 2018-03-26 00:41:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3830740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GamblingDementor/pseuds/ZhurrickTea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was warm. Wind was running through Diki's hair as she glided through the canyon, a flock of little girls swarming behind her, following her path in the air. It was late in the afternoon and summer was almost at its end. The sun gave a reddish light, the colour of which was almost as pleasant to the eye as its warmth was on her skin. Leaves were falling slowly from the vines hanging from the rock walls above the Western Air Temple, some still green, many already yellow, orange, some deep red.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The events surrounding Aang's birth. His mother, his father, how they met, how family works in the Air Nomad culture, how it all came together. Set -13 AG. My interpretetion of what the life of Air Nomads was like.<br/>(Tags will be added as they occur)</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Breeze of Fresh Air

**Author's Note:**

> I know this can be a challenging read, not because it's hard to read or anything, but because it exclusively involves original characters (except Aang who will come into play, but as a newborn only), but I truly think that you can enjoy it :) I put some effort into this and I think it'll pay off as an entertaining story.

It was warm. Wind was running through Diki's hair as she glided through the canyon, a flock of little girls swarming behind her, following her path in the air. It was late in the afternoon and summer was almost at its end. The sun gave a reddish light, the colour of which was almost as pleasant to the eye as its warmth was on her skin. Leaves were falling slowly from the vines hanging from the rock walls above the Western Air Temple, some still green, many already yellow, orange, some deep red.

 

"On my mark, we'll try that loop again. Ready?"

 

The girls cheered excitedly. They would have clapped their hands if they weren't grabbing tightly onto their gliders. Diki waited till they reached the perfect altitude and shouted the signal.

 

"Now!"

 

All little girls dutifully did the loop just like she showed them, and were pretty good at it, too.

 

"That was great, girls. You're by far the best class I've ever had!"

 

"We're the only class you've ever had, Diki, you're not a teacher!"

 

"My point still stands."

 

They all laughed and chatted merrily during the rest of the lesson, and Diki had to admit that the whole teaching experience almost made her long for the days of old age when she would be one of the nuns responsible for the classes of the younger generation. Her dear Dolma would swear loud and clear that she would never go back to living in a temple now that she was old enough not to be bound to one, but Diki could clearly see the appeal. There was an excitement in these young minds that was unlike what she was used to see during their travels.

 

In the end, when the sun reached the fourth roof of farthest building the temple, it was time to wrap up the lesson and, with a somewhat disappointed pout, the little girls followed Diki through the air back to the Western Air Temple. They landed safely on the platform next to the fountain and memories of that day long past when she had fought with Dolma in the water came rushing to Diki's mind. She smiled fondly. They had had a triple amount of chores for the next seven days as a punishment, to remind them that the Air Nomads were a peaceful people and that fighting was never the way to solve any issue. It certainly had not helped that Dolma had bitten Jetsun's hand hard enough to draw blood. How both of them had changed since their childhood here. Dolma did not bite people anymore − at least not often.

 

"Diki, how long will you stay in the Western Air Temple?"

 

She turned to the little girl who had just spoken and mussed her hair. She was one of the youngest of the group she had been teaching today, and also the chattiest. Diki really liked her. Maybe she really should start thinking about staying at the temple if it meant spending time with kind hearted little girls as this one.

 

"I don't know, Cho. Depends how long Dolma will be stuck in a chair. I can't say I'm not enjoying my time here, though."

 

That seemed to be enough for the little girl and she smiled and followed Diki as she silently made her way to the water fountain to watch the ripples on its surface. It reminded her of the tides of the ocean, and she hoped to see the sea again soon enough. The salty wind of the coast had a flavour to it that no other place could match.

 

"I wish you were the teacher all the time," said Cho and snapped Diki out of her day dream. "Nun Jetsun is so boring!"

 

"Still is, mmh?"

 

"What was that?!" said a deep raspy voice.

 

Both Diki and Cho turned around at once. Diki felt goosebumps on her skin when she saw Jetsun's deep frown, and was suddenly reminded why she had been happy to leave the temple in the first place. The old nun walked up to them briskly. Diki swore her large eyes were ten times as wrinkly as they were the last time she had seen her, yet the glare they held was still just as frightening.

 

"Nothing," she peeped.

 

"I thought so," replied Jetsun and rubbed her chin, eyes narrowing on her next target, the little girl. "Cho, go fetch some lychee juice for everyone. You must all be thirsty after flying  _for four hours_."

 

Her tone dripped with disapproval, as if she thought that Diki might as well have just spent the afternoon watching paint dry with the pupils.

 

"Yes, Nun Jetsun."

 

"I'll go with her!" Diki said, grabbed the girl's hand and with a rush of air ran with her towards the kitchen. They both kept a low profile until they were sure the old woman could not hear them and Diki burst out laughing, soon followed by the young girl.

 

"She really hasn't changed one bit!"

 

"Was she always that grumpy?"

 

"Oh, trust me, she was. I think she was born with a frown on her face."

 

Cho giggled.

 

"At least you have all the other nuns."

 

"Yeah…"

 

"And Dolma and I will be staying here for a little while. I still don't know how long. Dolma has the itchiest feet in the history of the Air Nomads."

 

"I can't wait till  _I_  get to scour the world!"

 

Diki smiled. She still remembered when she was a little girl and looked forward to every trip ever taken with the other little nuns. These had been the good old days, yet she was not nostalgic. The past had given her guidance, but as far as she could see, the future was smiling upon her. As time went by, her life felt more fulfilling and amazing every instant more than the one before.

 

"I'd love to tell you that it's not as amazing as they make it up to be, but really, it is. We live in a beautiful world, Cho, never forget that. There is peace and knowledge to be found everywhere, not to mention fun and pleasure."

 

"Have you been to the Water Tribes? I've always wanted to see the Water Tribes."

 

"Not exactly, but I have been to the South Pole and sled on penguins with Dolma."

 

"That sounds so amazing!"

 

"I might just take you and your friends with me on a field-trip when you're old enough."

 

"What? I'm old enough!"

 

Diki tried to hide her chuckling out of respect.

 

"You're five. You don't have a bison yet."

 

"Nun Sonam says we'll get one when we've mastered the first twelve airbending forms."

 

"In that case, it might not take that long. From what I've seen today, you almost got them."

 

"Thanks!"

 

They soon reached the kitchen, where Diki was surprised to find Dolma cutting papayas on a low table. If anything was to be said about Dolma, it's that she hated chores. She rationalized it by assuming she had been enrolled into cooking by one of the older nuns and had been hungry enough to accept.

 

Cho grabbed a big pitcher of lychee juice and carried it with all the strength a five year old could have. Diki offered to help, but she refused, claiming she was a big girl who did not need to be coddled like a baby.

 

"Stay with me for a bit, will you, Diki?" whined Dolma.

 

"Is that okay, Cho?"

 

"Of course. I can do this!"

 

"Good girl."

 

She smiled as the little girl left the room. Letting her carry the huge pitcher all on her own might be a disaster waiting to unfold but she figured she could take that risk. It's not like lychee juice was a rarity anyway.

 

"What were you doing all that time, Diki?!"

 

She turned to Dolma and frowned.

 

"What do you mean, what was I doing? I  _told_  you Sonam asked me if I wanted to teach the group of girls this afternoon. That's what I was doing."

 

"I mean why did it take so long?! Ugh, I hate being stuck in here."

 

The knife accompanying her angry gestures was far more dangerous of a tool than was reasonable to be found in Dolma's hands and Diki quickly stopped her arm, pulling the blade away from her. Dolma stuck her tongue out and, since she was forbidden from cutting the fruit anymore, began eating the bits she had diced.

 

"You should have thought of that before you tried flying off that cliff with no glider, dear."

 

Dolma's eyes narrowed on her, as if she was deeply shocked Diki would suggest her fall, that had led to her foot being broken, was somehow her fault − which it really was.

 

"I should have taken Mushi and flown next to you and the girls," she finally sighed, defeated.

 

"Nun Jetsun asked that you stay off the bison until you can walk again and I think she's right."

 

"See, I thought the point of getting my tatts was to get away from the old nuns and their demands!"

 

_What about showing that you've mastered the ancient art of airbending and reached the level of wisdom required to be an independent air nomad?_  Diki thought, and kept to herself.

 

"Where are the others anyway? You're not supposed to make dinner all on your own, are you?"

 

"Nah. They're in the upstairs kitchen in the third building. Told me they were too warm in here and needed fresh air but I can smell a lie. It's no cooler up there. They were sick of me."

 

If Dolma acted as grumpy with them as she had with everyone ever since she had broken her foot three days ago, Diki could understand the older nuns running away from her. Not that she would ever admit it to her dear Dolma.

 

"Anyway, what's up?" Dolma asked and threw a piece of papaya at her. "How was the teaching?"

 

Dolma could be all bravado and grouchiness, but often as not, it was gone as soon as it'd come, like a gush of wind. Diki caught the piece of fruit and sat next to Dolma, chewing on it. It was sweet and firm, and delicious, as she remembered the food from the temples to always be.

 

"Well, you remember how it goes. The teacher shows the moves, the girls try to do the same. It was pretty fun, actually."

 

"I bet the girls loved you."

 

They exchanged a smile. This was Dolma too, kind and honest and caring. She nodded modestly, thinking back about her students with fondness.

 

"Honestly, it went well. I think they liked the change."

 

"It probably helps," Dolma said and intertwined her fingers with Diki's softly, "that they had the cutest instructor who has the most..."

 

Someone cleared their throat loudly and Diki snatched her hand back immediately, blushing vividly, to find Nun Sonam smiling knowingly in the archway.

 

"I thought I'd find you both in here," she said in her voice that instilled wisdom even in the most mondane words, "just the two ladies I needed."

 

Diki bowed, as did Dolma after half a second of hesitation.

 

"How can we help you?" she asked and Sonam simply sat down next to them, still sporting her soft wise smile that helped Diki through her whole childhood every time she felt upset or sad or angry.

 

"Actually, you can help me."

 

"Do you want me to take over the classes tomorrow again? I had a great time this afternoon. I'm happy to help."

 

"That would be very nice," she said and nodded kindly, "All the girls were very excited. But it's not what I meant to ask. As you know, the Yangchen's Festival is coming up next month and I was wondering if you would join us."

 

The Yangchen's Festival was a tradition that Diki had always loved. When she was still a little nun running around the temple, attendance had not been optional and she had been to the festival every single year, but as time went by, and she and Dolma found their freedom scouting the world, the date got lost often as not and they had not attended in several years. She glanced at Dolma who looked as interested as she felt, and nodded.

 

"We would love to join you."

 

"It is, in fact, a bit more of a favor that I'm asking. Would you be in charge of watching the young ones play with the cranefish kites in the afternoon? Monk Gyatso, from the Southern Air Temple, requested that nuns helped and I thought of you immediately. I'm sure the little children would much rather play with young ladies such as yourselves than old slumped nuns like Jetsun and me."

 

"I'm sure that's not true!" Diki exclaimed and Dolma elbowed her playfully under the table. 

 

"We would be glad to help, Sonam.  _Both of us_ ," she said pointedly and Dolma stuck out her tongue just long enough for Diki to see, but not long enough for Sonam to take notice.

 

Sonam stood up and bowed slightly, as nuns did when old age started to hinder their ease of move. Diki and Dolma bowed back, and as soon as the older nun had left the room, Dolma wrapped her arm around Diki's waist and leaned into her.

 

"I guess we're going to the Yangchen's Festival, then!"


End file.
